1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to solutions for the treatment of sores, wounds, and other traumatized dermal tissues. The present invention relates more specifically to a solution comprised of cedar leaf oil, zinc oxide ointment, calamine lotion and an ointment base for the topical treatment of open wounds and ulcers of the skin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The skin, mucus membranes and other dermal tissues of mammals, especially humans, is known to be susceptible to injury and infection. Human skin is especially prone to developing various sores or becoming otherwise traumatized due to injury, disease, exposure to toxins or caustic substances, and the like. Large wounds or sores covering relatively large surface areas of the skin such as burns, lacerations and diabetic ulcers, to name only a few, are often difficult to treat and may heal slowly. Some sores, especially diabetic skin ulcers, may not heal on their own, and can cause great distress to the patient suffering therefrom. If left untreated, a skin sore may become infected, and even gangrenous and may even lead to disfiguring scars or even to the loss of a limb.
For centuries, people have been using various substances, both naturally occurring and synthetic, in an effort to promote healing of skin tissues. Often, it is desirable that these substances be applied directly to the area of the wound or sore in the form of a lotion or ointment. Many of the substances that prove effective in the treatment of skin traumas do not naturally occur in a liquid or gelatinous state, and therefore must be combined with other substances so that they may be properly applied to the damaged area of the skin. Furthermore, many of the substances that are effective in promoting healing may cause pain or other discomfort when applied directly to an open wound. Therefore, people have attempted to find substances that may be combined with the active ingredients in order to alleviate the discomfort associated with topical treatment of an open sore or wound.
It has been found that a combination of cedar leaf oil, zinc oxide ointment, and calamine lotion with an ointment base such as anhydrous lanolin or petroleum jelly is effective in treating virtually all sores, wounds and skin traumas, including but not limited to burns, surgical incisions, skin ulcers and insect bites. So far as is known, though the prior art has sought to treat such skin traumas through the combination of various ingredients, no prior art combination has appreciated the surprising result achieved by combining cedar leaf oil, zinc oxide ointment, and calamine lotion with an ointment base such as anhydrous lanolin or petroleum jelly according to the invention hereinafter disclosed.
For example, the composition disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,318 was used for treatment of irradiated skin, open sores, wounds and abrasions. The composition was comprised of an aloe vera gel extract, allantoin and lavender essential oil. The composition disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,717 was comprised of a sugar, iodine and a glycol or water vehicle and was for the treatment of wounds and related conditions, and was specifically useful in veterinary medicine. The composition described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,875 was prepared by mixing honey with oil, a gelling agent, an emulsifier and other components, and was to be used for the treatment of Herpes, cold sores, burns, skin allergies and other wounds. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,866, beeswax was combined with oil and sometimes water to produce a composition for treatment of various burns and abrasions. None of these prior inventions has sought to combine cedar leaf oil with zinc oxide ointment or with calamine lotion and have therefore failed to achieve the benefits of such a combination.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a topical ointment for open wounds is described and comprises a solution of cedar leaf oil, zinc oxide ointment, calamine lotion and an ointment base. In the preferred embodiment the solution is approximately 10% cedar leaf oil by weight, approximately 10% zinc oxide ointment by weight, approximately 10% calamine lotion (medicated) by weight; and approximately 70% ointment base by weight. A suitable ointment base is 50% anhydrous USP lanolin with 50% pure petroleum jelly. Artificial food coloring may be added to tint the solution as desired. The ranges can be varied, with the calamine lotion varying from 2-10% by weight. Drier lesions respond better to lower ranges of calamine lotion, typically less than 5% for dry lesions and above 5% for oozing or moist lesions. A 2% calamine solution has been particularly useful in treating burns, Herpes Simplex 1, Herpes Simplex 2 and Herpes Zoster or Shingles.
Another variation of the solution can be used for the treatment of insect bites or stings. The anhydrous lanolin and petroleum jelly are to approximate 68% of the total solution by weight and 1-2% of hydrocortisone ointment is added as an additional component. For pure surgical healing and reduction of scarring from burns, lacerations or surgery, the cortisone is replaced with vitamin K.
The solution is thoroughly mixed by blending at room temperature. Once mixed, the solution is applied directly to the wound as a topical medication, and is applied repeatedly as it evaporates or wears. The treatment is continually applied of a period of days until the wound is healed. For severe wounds such as diabetic sores, as many as 30 to 40 days of application may be required, with excellent results having been achieved.